Esteban, sports psychologist: “Tudor wanted to be brave and ended up being a coward”

Shock, disbelief, amazement and astonishment. Igor Tudor’s decision to substitute goalkeeper Kinsky after just 16 minutes of play – without any injury and purely for technical reasons after conceding three goals in 15 minutes – has sparked a wave of reactions and opinions. Most have come in solidarity with the 22-year-old Czech goalkeeper, who at the Metropolitano was playing the first Champions League game of his career.

AS consulted several former goalkeepers and a sports psychologist for expert opinions. Andrés Palop, a Euro 2008 champion with Spain who played for Valencia, Villarreal, Sevilla and Bayer Leverkusen, expressed his astonishment: “I don’t remember ever seeing anything like it before. The coach must have had his reasons, but the kid certainly won’t feel supported or trusted. He’ll spend a few days or weeks feeling terrible, for sure. You feel singled out. The first person who knew he’d made mistakes was him, but if a coach had to bench every player who makes errors that lead to goals in a game… For me, the coach got it wrong.” Palop added that Kinsky is young and will recover, but that the moment will stay with him. Now, he argued, the player needs protection rather than blame, because stripping away his confidence could have lasting consequences.

David de Gea, who played for Atlético and Manchester United, posted a message shortly after the game ended: “No one who hasn’t been a goalkeeper can understand how difficult it is to play in this position. Keep your head up and you will go again,” he wrote on his X account.

Another professional view came from Rafael Mateos, a psychologist and sports specialist at TYM Psicología. “It’s very difficult to comment from the outside without knowing the club or the teammates, but logically the player won’t feel good – it’s a complex situation.” Mateos said the ideal response would be to analyze why the performance unfolded the way it did and then find the best way for the player to recover. According to him, those around Kinsky must stay close and support him. Tudor had apparently been the only coach who trusted him enough to start him in the Champions League, but that trust disappeared quickly. Mateos added that if Tottenham does not already have psychological support in place, the goalkeeper should seek professional help because not every player can overcome such moments alone.

Esteban, a veteran goalkeeper with 22 years as a professional at clubs including Oviedo, Atlético and Sevilla, was highly critical of Tudor’s decision. “We talk endlessly about mental health, and now look at this example. The coach showed he’s a poor manager of the group.” He pointed out that Tudor himself chose the goalkeeper and now cannot know how the episode will affect the player. Esteban said he had never seen a goalkeeper substituted after just 15 minutes and questioned why forwards are not treated the same way when they miss chances. In his view, Tudor tried to appear brave but ended up showing weakness, singling out a 22-year-old who had been signed for about $17.5 million from Slavia Prague. According to the former goalkeeper, such treatment would never happen to established names like Thibaut Courtois or Jan Oblak. He believes the moment will leave a lasting mark on Kinsky, who has been publicly singled out and now must deal with the emotional consequences of that decision.

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